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Form, fill and seal packaging machine with bag squeezer and method

  • US 5,930,983 A
  • Filed: 03/04/1997
  • Issued: 08/03/1999
  • Est. Priority Date: 06/29/1992
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. A vertical, form, fill, and seal apparatus of the type that operates in conjunction with a product supply apparatus providing product in discrete quantities and that forms a continuous, heat sealable plastic film and zipper strip into separate product filled, reclosable, sealed bags comprising:

  • a first controlled release festooner arrangement for storing and supplying a continuous plastic film,a second controlled release festooner arrangement for storing and supplying a continuous, plastic, zippered cap strip,a generally vertical fill tube assembly including a vertical fill tube downstream of the first and second festooner arrangements for the continuous film and zippered cap strip and around which the continuous film is formed and wrapped,feeding means including a plastic film drive roll, a pair of pull belts, and a pair of zippered cap strip drive rollers for feeding the zippered cap strip and plastic film along the length of the vertical fill tube in bag length increments with edges of the plastic film in overlapping relationship with edges of the zippered cap strip,vertical sealing means for sealing the edges of the plastic film to the edges of the zippered cap strip to form a length of flexible, plastic tube,a pinch seal assembly downstream of the vertical fill tube for forming first and second horizontal seals across the flexible plastic tube and for severing the plastic tube, the first horizontal seal defining the downstream edge of a bag about to be filled with product and the second horizontal seal defining the upstream edge of a bag which has already received product,tensioning means for horizontally elongating the plastic tube transverse to its length prior to severing and formation of said first and second horizontal seals, anda bag squeezer unit downstream of said pinch seal assembly having opposing rigid, planar, squeeze plates and means for reciprocating the plates toward and away from one another along a common axis for selectively contacting flat inner surfaces of each of the plates with the sides of the product filled, flexible, plastic tube and squeezing excess air from the product filled flexible, plastic tube prior to formation of said second horizontal seal and for sequentially releasing each completed, reclosable, product-filled sealed bag following formation of the second horizontal seal and severing of the bag from the flexible tube.

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